Suspicious death in Diyarbakır Prison

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Remziye Tosun has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the death of a prisoner in the Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison.

Emel Hacıoğlu, 35, died in the prison on September 6. She had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for drug crimes and in behind bars for five years.

In her motion, MP Tosun noted that prisoners' fundamental rights such as right to life and right to access healthcare has been increasingly violated in recent years.

She asked the minister of justice what was the cause of Hacıoğlu's death, and whether an investigation was opened into the incident.

Deaths in prison

According to the Civil Society in the Penal System (CİSST), 42 prisoners died in the last eight months. The number prisoners who have "committed suicide" since 2014 is 97.

In the last year, 13 prisoners killed themselves, five prisoners died suspiciously, and the cause of death of one prisoner could not be identified, according to the Human Rights Association (İHD).

There are 1,517 ill prisoners, including 651 seriously ill, according to the İHD. (AS/VK)